By Alexandra Krauska
By Alexandra Krauska
Rabat – The Spanish Civil Guard announced Tuesday that a large child pornography network was dismantled.
Many Moroccan children and teenagers were among the victims of the network. The network had been active in Spain and Morocco since 2000, and the investigation began in May, 2016. Since then, seven people have been arrested.
The seven members of the criminal network are from Morocco, France and Spain. According to Spanish news agency EFE, several members of the network were arrested on May 29, and others arrested between July 7 and 25.
In the final operation launched by Spanish authorities, one of the group members’ homes was searched. This was where officials believe the victims were kept captive, filmed and exploited. The search found over 1 million photographs, 1,000 pornographic DVD’s, and 28 internet domains used to distribute the child pornography.
Officials estimate that there are more than 80 victims, though only 29 have been identified. Spain’s leading newspaper, El Pais, reported that “many [victims] were Moroccan children from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
The investigation found that the group had been planning to create a network of sex tourism in Morocco, making their victims available to foreign pedophiles.
